Plenty of Time
by DCfics
Summary: What if Barry didn't time-travel in "Out of Time"? Westallen two-parter.
1. Part 1

Thunder rumbled and a wave began to gain power and momentum, heading straight for Central City.

Barry reached for Iris and turned her around to face him. "Iris, you need to get out of here, okay? You need to get as far away from here as possible."

"I am _not_ leaving you!"

"Iris, please–"

"Listen to me. Ever since the night that you told me how you felt I have not been able to stop thinking about you. At first I was really mad, and then I realized that the reason that I couldn't stop thinking about you was because I didn't want to."

"I've never stopped thinking about you." Barry reached for Iris's face and they shared a passionate kiss, abandoning their worries and fears for a few precious seconds of pure, liberating bliss. They exchanged a nervous smile before Barry stepped away to make a phone call. Iris stood petrified at the disaster looming before them.

When Barry finished his call he turned back to face her. "I am so sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way." He took a deep breath and vanished in a vortex of electricity. Iris's jaw dropped.

Barry re-appeared as the Flash, shouted "Go!" and zoomed away toward the water. Iris looked around in confusion, adjusted her purse strap, and ran for higher ground before stopping to watch the calamity.

Lightning illuminated the tremendous wave that approached the city. The ground trembled and the trees shook at a frequency that threatened to pop them out of the ground. Many people cried out, ran away, fumbled for car keys; others, like Iris, were frozen in shock. Could this be the end? And then, as quickly as it appeared, the tsunami that threatened to destroy the city crashed against an invisible barrier and dissipated. A cloud of mist enveloped the area, the Flash's electrical streaks were gone, and smaller waves broke onto the shoreline.

Barry sighed in relief and collapsed from exhaustion several miles away from the man responsible for the wave.

Mark Mardon's jaw dropped. He stood on the dock with a duct-taped Joe in silence, aghast that someone existed who had more power than him.

"Dad!" Iris sprinted onto the dock, but Joe's panicked gestures and stifled mumbles caused her to pause several feet away. Mardon had drawn a gun. But before she could react, a bolt of lightning whooshed past and he was gone.

"I'm gonna break outta here! And when I do, I'm gonna destroy your entire city!"

"Okay, Zeus, I'll bring an umbrella." Barry backed away from the Weather Wizard's pipeline cell and watched with a cocky half-smile as the barrier closed. He turned around, removed his mask, and stopped to ponder his next move. _Iris is with Joe; she'll take care of him. Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco are probably busy with their own work._ Barry was still in shock from the events of that day and wanted to speed home, eat four large pizzas, and binge-watch some Netflix while considering his next move. But people were still in danger, and he had to ensure that his foster dad would be okay.

A moment later, Barry was standing on the shoreline again, several meters away from the ambulance into which Joe was being lifted. Iris climbed in after him and caught sight of Barry for a half-second before the doors slammed shut.

The city may have been saved, but there was still a lot of destruction in the wake of Mark Mardon. Still fatigued from his wall of wind – but mostly just avoiding Iris – Barry took his time cleaning up the shoreline. After replanting a few dozen shrubs, rescuing a few marooned crustaceans, and eating a few protein bars, he realized that he was being ridiculous and could delay no longer. Assuming that S.T.A.R. Labs could wait, Barry zipped home, changed into some normal clothes, and hopped on the bus for the Central City Hospital. Super-speed wouldn't allow much time to contemplate the awkward encounter that would inevitably follow. Besides, part of him still enjoyed traveling like a normal person. He always made fast friends on public transit. Connecting with other citizens, learning their stories, and gaining their wisdom were a heartfelt reminder of why he chooses to watch over them. There's also the exciting prospect of meeting another person like Dr. Martin Stein. Only this time, the only other passengers were a couple of cold teenagers huddled over an iPad and an old man who kept shrieking at the driver for not going off-route for him. What a great city.

When Barry arrived at the hospital he got Joe's room number from a receptionist and headed to his foster dad. A couple of hours had passed since the tsunami, and the sun had just dipped below the horizon. The floor where Joe was being kept had a drowsy orange glow about it, and a cranky-looking nurse stood at a desk in front of the elevator, jotting down notes on a clipboard.

Barry walked past the desk and paused. Iris was sitting several feet away, head lowered, coffee in hand, and deep in thought. Apart from the nurse, Barry and Iris were alone. His nerves got the better of him: He started to leave, but as he did he stumbled on a shoelace, causing Iris to jerk her head upward and drop the cup upon seeing him. Instinctively, Barry sped over to catch it. Iris let slip a small scream and covered her mouth in embarrassment. The nurse looked up from her clipboard and glared at them for several seconds. Barry cringed and handed Iris her cup.

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I, uh, I meant to do that."

"Really."

"Yeah, I mean, I had to see if you'd catch it. You know, just to be sure that what I saw earlier wasn't, like, a hallucination."

"Uh… Right." Barry rubbed the back of his neck and sat across from Iris. "So, will Joe be alright?"

"His leg is pretty messed-up, but he's in surgery now. The doctor said he'll fully recover after some rehab."

"Good. And… How are you?"

"Good… How are you?"

"I'm good, good."

"That's… good."

"Yeah, it is."

A couple of long, gruesome minutes of silence followed, with Iris picking at the mouth of her cup and Barry flipping through a pregnancy magazine.

His stomach broke the silence with an ungodly rumble. The tension instantly evaporated, and the two of them snorted with laughter. Barry stood up and walked to a nearby vending machine.

"You want something?"

"Nah, I'm–"

"Good?"

"Good! God, Barry."

Barry smiled and studied the food selections, lost in thought: _Ha, she's totally flirting with me. So what happened earlier wasn't a fluke; I might actually have a chance with her! For the first time in my life, everything seems to be– pretzels. Yeah. Pretzels would taste great right about now. Ugh, why are my thoughts always interrupted by food?_ He took a crumpled-up dollar out of his wallet and stuck it in the machine, but after it was regurgitated ten times Barry fumbled for some coins, spilling a handful of them all over the floor. The nurse scowled at him again as he picked up the coins one-by-one. Iris couldn't help but smirk at his clumsiness. Same old Barry. Once the nurse resumed her paperwork, Barry smiled at Iris and vanished, re-appearing three seconds later with a Costco-sized bag of pretzels.

Iris mustered up the courage to speak frankly. "So, um, can we talk? For real?"

Barry looked up from the handful of pretzels he was about to stuff in his mouth.

"You can bring the pretzels."

Barry sped her to a secluded part of the hospital roof before zipping away somewhere else. _Show-off,_ she thought. After scanning the area she spotted him: He was sitting on a platform near the edge, munching on his snack. Night had fully descended, a crescent moon hovered in the sky, and the city lights twinkled all around them.

"What is it with you and rooftops?" She asked.

"_That's_ your first question?"

Iris nervously laughed and sat next him. "No, it's not. I guess what I really wanna know is: How did this happen? I mean, how did the impossible become possible? And how did it happen to you, of all people?"

Barry gave her the full scoop: the particle accelerator explosion, his abilities, why he became the Flash, the metahuman prison, the whole shebang. While he explained his working relationships with Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco, Iris stopped him. "Wait. All these people know, so why did you lie to _me_ about something this big, Barry? Of all the people in my life, you were the one person I always trusted. You probably thought that keeping me in the dark would keep me safe, right?"

"No, that's not it. I wanted to tell you, I really did. But–"

"My dad made you promise not to."

"Yeah. And I couldn't disobey him. He's done so much for me. Of course, that doesn't mean I agreed with him, I mean, he's a little–"

"Overprotective, I know." Iris sighed. "Well, I'm just glad he's gonna be okay."

They sat in silence as Barry polished off his pretzels. He crammed the bag in his pocket, licked the salt off his fingers, caught Iris's eye, and blushed.

"…I have hyper-metabolism."

"Figured. So, the thing that killed your mom, do you know what that was now?"

"I do. But all that can wait. Actually, I wanted to ask you about Eddie. And… well, where we go from here."

Iris frowned and stared at a distant airplane. "I don't know, Barry. Ever since Christmas I've come to realize how much you mean to me. I mean, you're more than just a friend. I don't know what I'd do without you. But everything's gotten so complicated."

Barry stood up and faced her. "I understand. I was too late. To tell you the truth, I was on the verge of telling you last year at S.T.A.R. Labs when we went to watch them turn on the accelerator. I think I was ready then. But I guess you can't predict when you're gonna be the victim of a freak accident and wind up in a coma for nine months, huh?"

Iris bit her lip and squinted her eyes. Suddenly, she stood up, grasped Barry's collar, and pulled him close, gently planting her lips on his. Their embrace this time was slower and steadier. Nothing else mattered in that moment, and neither of them wanted it to end, but after several seconds Iris drew back. "It's okay, Barry. Things have a way of working themselves out. We've got plenty of time."

Barry, glowing with satisfaction, grabbed her by the hips and sped her back to the hallway outside Joe's room. The nurse was gone, the halls were eerily quiet, and a fluorescent light lazily flickered. He sat by Iris's side this time. She rested her head on his shoulder and drifted into a light sleep.

"_Awesome,_" Barry whispered.

"Heard that."


	2. Part 2

"Barry, please answer your phone, _please_."

At the hospital, Barry was napping with Iris, his cheek nestled in her hair, but the incessant vibrations from his phone forced him awake. "Hey Caitlin, what's up?"

"Barry! Where have you been?! You need to get to S.T.A.R. Labs RIGHT NOW!"

Barry sat up straight. "Wait wait wait, calm down! What's wrong?"

Iris half-opened her eyes and yawned. "Erm, Barry? Whuss goin' on?"

"It's… Cisco," Caitlin sobbed.

Barry's heart skipped a beat. He jumped up and ran for S.T.A.R. Labs. When he arrived he searched the facility until he found Caitlin. She was standing in the middle of the room where they had contained the Reverse-Flash last Christmas, and there was a body lying at her feet in a puddle of blood.

"No. Cisco!" Barry darted over to his friend and kneeled on the floor to feel for a pulse. Caitlin was chewing on her quivering lip; her face was smeared with tears and makeup, and her dress and hands were covered in blood.

"I already… _ch-checked_…"

"No…" Barry's head spun. _This couldn't be happening. Who would do something like this?_ But as soon as that question entered his mind, the answer became obvious. Barry choked back his tears and raised his head, shaking with fury. "_Him._"

Back at the hospital, Iris was getting a refill at the coffee dispenser. Joe's surgery had finished while she slept, and he was in his room, anesthetized. Once she'd filled her cup, she started walking to her father's room.

"_Hello, Iris,_" a gravelly voice said from behind her. It didn't sound friendly. Iris turned around. A man was at the end of the hall. He was wearing a suit like the Flash's, his face blurred like the Flash's, and his voiced echoed like the Flash's, but he… wasn't the Flash. His eyes glowed red, and if cartoons taught her anything, it's that glowy red eyes are never a good sign. She reached for her cell phone, but before she could touch it the man in yellow took her.

"I need to get you out of here," Barry told Caitlin while suiting up in S.T.A.R. Labs.

"I doubt there's any place I could hide that he couldn't find."

"Just the same, I'd feel better if you were at the precinct. I'm not gonna let him hurt anyone else. I need to end this, Caitlin. Once and for all." Barry's phone rang. It was Iris. He steered Caitlin toward the exit and answered. "Iris, listen–"

"_Hello, Barry._"

Barry froze. His heart lurched. _No. This couldn't be happening._ He turned on the speaker.

"_You know whom I have with me. You've got two options, Barry: Either you meet me at the southside bridge immediately, or the next time you see the name 'Iris West' in the paper it'll be in the obituaries._"

Barry and Caitlin exchanged a wide-eyed glance.

"Barry, we need to discuss this first. I know–" Caitlin instantly appeared in the CCPD lobby. "–who he is. Damnit."

He went straight to the bridge, which was eerily deserted, save for a few abandoned cars. "Where the hell are you?!"

"_In the right place at the wrong time._"

Barry spun around and a powerful force tackled him to the ground. He scurried back up and spotted the Reverse-Flash a small distance away. "What've you done with Iris?!"

"_Iris West has been dead for centuries._ _However, she is fundamental._" He zipped into an overturned truck and re-emerged with Iris. She struggled against his grip.

Barry's face went pale and his mouth dry. "Let her go."

"_As you wish._"

The Reverse-Flash ran forward and braked, releasing Iris. Her momentum continued and she crashed, feet-first, into a nearby van.

"No!" Barry rushed toward her but was tackled aside by his nemesis. The two speedsters brawled at lightning speeds, creating gusts of wind and causing the bridge to quake. Barry's fight-or-flight instincts kicked into overdrive; unlike the battle last Christmas, he had something to fight for, someone to protect. The Reverse-Flash was formidable, but the Flash had the advantage of youth. Barry hit him with several rapid japs, and his yellow counterpart lunged forward in anger. Barry dodged, jumped onto the side of a nearby pillar, kicked himself off, and landed a powerful haymaker. The man in yellow grunted and scurried away. Barry appeared at Iris's side and knelt down, touching her arm.

"Iris… Are you okay?"

Iris moaned and sat up, clutching her leg. "His suit's hideous. I mean, yellow? Really?"

Barry smiled in relief. He moved to pick her up, but she held him back.

"Don't worry about me. Kick his ass, Barry."

"I'm not leaving you."

Iris cupped the back of his neck and looked intently in his eyes. "Listen: I'll be fine. Go!"

Barry frowned, reluctantly stood up, put on his mask, and sped after the Reverse-Flash, who was standing at the end of the bridge. Barry skid to a halt.

"Why are you doing this?"

"_To see if you're ready._"

"Ready for what?"

Without another word, the Reverse-Flash shot through the city. Barry chased after him. The two speedsters raced through streets, alleys, parks, stadiums, golf courses, airport runways, and factories. They raced across the badlands, into Keystone City, and onto the interstate.

Barry's adrenaline surged as he pushed himself harder than ever before. Just inches away from his adversary, he reached forward.

"ARGHHHHHHHH!"

The man in yellow vanished. A strange surge of energy shot through Barry. The world went fuzzy and muted, and he seemed to be trapped inside some kind of watery, kaleidoscopic tunnel. And then, a split-second later, Barry was downtown. He felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as he slowed his pace. The other speedster was running up ahead and Barry caught up to him; but instead of the Reverse-Flash he saw… himself! Running alongside him, just like yesterday. He stopped at the end of the street, gasped for breath, and looked around. "Wha–?"

A couple of dogs were tugging at their leashes and barking at one another, someone was spinning an advert, and a woman was desperately trying to hail a taxi: "Oh come on, I'm gonna be late!"

"Ohhhh boy."


End file.
